


Getting you out of my system

by Ziggee



Category: House M.D.
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-08
Updated: 2008-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-07 04:00:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/426707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ziggee/pseuds/Ziggee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is written for Valentines Feb 9th SNWC on Fox House website. Inspired by "Start small" by bandbfan24.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happy Crappy Valentines

Dr. Allison Cameron sat at her desk in the ER and looked with a puzzle at the card she had in her hand. It was a Valentines-card but the text inside had been printed out and glued inside. She read it again:

_Dear dr. Cameron!_

_You are here by invited on a date tonight._

_Happy Valentines Day_

No signature, no nothing, not even a time or place for the 'date'. Cameron laughed to herself, someone was doing a joke on her. Who could have sent it? Chase? Well, he had recently broken up with his girlfriend but they had made it clear that their try had come and gone. Wilson? Cameron frowned. No, he was just a friend, a very dear friend. House? Cameron stopped at the thought and she could feel her heart start to beat faster. But then she remembered all the times he had pushed her away and she became disappointed. "Over his dead body." She murmured under her breath and threw the card in the need-to-reply-pile and went to see some patients.

After a lunch with few of the nurses, Cameron was back at work. She couldn´t wait to get home and start a 3 day weekend.

"Dr. Cameron. These came for you while you where at lunch." The nurse said at the front-desk as she passed them on her way to the ER. Cameron turned around and was faced with the biggest bouquet of red roses she had ever seen, it must have been at least 3 dozens. She slowly approached the flowers and raised her hand to touch one. "Is there a card?" The nurse asked curiously. Cameron looked at her and the started to look over the flowers. Sure, there was one tucked in between them.

_"Argentina-restaurant 7 pm."_

Again, no signature or anything to indicate who had sent them. It was a five star restaurant that had recently opened and had gotten really good reviews. "So who are they from?" The nurse asked impatiently.

"I don´t know?" Cameron said.

House chose that moment to pass the front-desk and saw the flowers and heard Cameron´s comment. He came up to her and leaned himself on the table. "You have a secret admirer?" He asked mockingly.

Cameron looked at him and smile. "Seems that way. Unless you sent them?" She asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.

House made a face. "Valentines Day is overly overrated, made up by shopkeepers to sell over priced cards and over priced flowers to innocent men who hope to get a round in the sack instead."

Cameron laughed. "You have that one cleared up." She reached in and pulled one of the roses out and handed it over to him.

House looked in her eyes and they shared a moment filled with sexual tension. Something that had always happened between them through out the 3 years she had worked for him. But this wasn´t the same Cameron with her puppy-love for him. This was the Cameron who had confidence in herself and her actions, this Cameron was not afraid to stand up to him and probable knew him as well as he knew himself. He reached for the flower and slowly brushed his fingers against hers as he took it from her.

"Happy Valentines Day." She said with a smile and took the bouquet and headed for the ER.

"Hey, what am I supposed to do with this?" He asked after her.

Cameron slowly turned around and took in the picture before her. His jeans and black band shirt under open blue button up. The grayish beard and his hair that looked like he had run his fingers few times to often through it. House leaning on his cane in one hand, the rose in his raised left. His blue, blue eyes filled with humor and something else she couldn´t put her finger on.

"Go give it to the nurse you were mean to this morning. Who knows, maybe you´ll get lucky and gain a round in the sack with her." Cameron said with a smile and kept on walking.

If she would have turned around again she would have caught the smirk that had come over his face as he watched her leave.

Cameron returned to the ER and set the flowers down on her desk. Another gift. Who were they from? It was slow in the ER she might as well use the time to investigate. She headed for the OR.

She found Chase just as he came out of the OR. She slowly approached him and then decided there was no way to tiptoe around this. "Rob, did you send me flowers this morning?"

Chase looked at her with a frown. "No, someone sent you flowers?"

"Yes, and I don´t know who they are from. There was no signature or anything."

"No, I didn´t sent them."

"OK. Thanks." She said and turned around to leave. As she touched the door he stopped her by calling her name.

"Allie, did you want them to be from me?" He asked quietly

Cameron closed her eyes and looked down before turning around. She looked at him with a sad face. "I´m sorry, but no."

"OK, just making sure we were clear on the rules." He said a bit harshly and returned to wash off.

She watched his back for a few second and then went to her next stop. She knocked a few times on Wilson´s door. "Come in."

"Cameron, what can I do for you?" Wilson asked surprised when he saw who entered the door.

Cameron took a seat across from him. "Wilson, you didn´t send me a card and some flowers, did you?"

Wilson made a frown. "No. why do you ask?"

"I got a Valentines-card this morning with no signature, asking me out on a date and then a big bouquet of roses saying the date was at Argentina´s."

"Wow, that´s a very expensive restaurant. I tried to book a table there for today, last week but they were fully booked." Then he raised his eyebrows. "This actually sounds a lot like….." He trailed off and looked at her.

Cameron sent him a serious face. "Yeah, right. I chased him for almost three years and he didn´t budge, why would he give in now?" She asked in misbelieve.

"Something must have happen or changed." Wilson said.

Cameron shook her head. "It´s not him. He denied sending me the flowers."

"You asked him?"

"He saw when I got the flowers and stopped to mock me. So I asked him."

Wilson looked at Cameron, was she really that closed up when it came to House that she didn´t see how much he cared for her. "Sorry, as much as I like our lunches and dinners I´m afraid it could never become more then friendship between us. I didn´t send the flowers."

Cameron smiled at him, stood up and went around the table and gave him a hug. "I´m glad we are friends, Wilson." She broke the hug and looked down at him. "And I agree with you." They shared a smile before she left him alone in his office, closing the door behind her.

Wilson was lost in his thoughts. This actually _did_ sound a lot like something House would do. Playing games like this one was right up his alley.

He noticed House coming out of his office on to the balcony and leaning heavily on the rail. He looked beet, tired and in pain, like he had been ever since he found out Cameron and Chase were back at PPTH. Wilson knew House didn´t have a case so something else was hitting his mind hard.

"You asked Cameron out on a date." Wilson stated as he joined his friend outside.

House sighted and kept his gaze on the view.

"Why now?" Wilson asked surprised.

House didn´t reply. Wilson had almost given up on him answering when House turned his head toward him and gave him the most defeating look. "I can´t make a joke and go on." He said quietly and went back inside his office. Wilson raised his eyebrows in surprise. What did that mean? He decided to pressure his friend a bit.

"What does that have anything to do to Cameron? And what can´t you make a joke about?" Wilson said confused as he came into the office following House.

"Leave it alone." House said and started to pack his bag.

"No. You are going to tell me why you´re asking Cameron out on a date."

"Look, Dr. McConscience. What I do or don´t do with Cameron or anyone else for that matter is none of your business." House almost yelled.

Wilson looked at his friend when another thought crossed his mind. "You have been planning this for a long time, haven´t you? How else are you going to get a table at Argentina´s and a big bouquet of roses on Valentines Day of all days?"

"Go stick you nose down Cuddy´s cleavage or something. I´ll bet she´ll appreciate your noisiness more then me." House mocked harshly

"This is something I wasn´t supposed to find out about." Wilson said and looked at his friend hard. "Why, what are you going to do?"

"I have a cane and I´m not afraid to use it." House stated argumently and stepped a few threatening steps closer to Wilson.

Wilson didn´t move, he just looked at his friend and there was silence for a long time. "House, I just hope you know what you are doing. I´m not sure if I´m ready for another heartbroken House." Wilson said and moved out of the office.

House watched through the glass as his friend walked away and let out a sighed. He had considered what would happen if Cameron said no, if she said yes, if she wanted more, if she wanted everything. He had thought about ever single angle of the matter and this was the conclusion he had gotten to. Although the decision didn´t sit right with him it was the best one he could come up with without getting involved. Damit, he was an ass.

Cameron´s day got a whole lot busier in the afternoon but her mind kept drifting to the mystery-date. Should she go? What should she wear? She didn´t really have anything that fancy except the red dress from the charity-poker event. Should she just stay at home? Should she have someone escort her to be sure it wasn´t a madman? But it was a restaurant and Wilson had said it was fully booked.

Soon it was time to go home, it was 4 o´clock so she had about three hours to get ready, find something to wear and get herself to the restaurant. As she approached her desk she saw the package. She took the card with a frown and looked at it. It was another Valentines-card and the same method had been used on this one as the first one, the message printed out and glued inside.

_Dear dr. Cameron!_

_If you would do me the honor_

_of wearing this dress tonight._

_Happy Valentines Day_

Cameron eyes widened as she read the card. She quickly looked around to see if someone was watching her. She slowly lifted the lid and pushed the paper aside. Her fingers slowly ran over the turquoise-colored silk. She didn´t dare to take it out here, but she could tell it was beautiful. She put her jacket on and bag over her shoulder then the vase in her other hand and the package in the other and headed out of the hospital.

She met House in the elevator on the way to the garage. He looked at her flowers and the package in her hand. "Looks like you had a profitable Valentines Day" He said as she stepped into the elevator. "Who´s the lucky guy? or is it a girl?"

"I still don´t know." She answered not looking at him, wondering if it really was him.

"So no round in the sack?" He asked with a smirk.

She looked at him with a smile. "I don´t know. He asked me on a date, or she."

House frowned. "Are you going to go?"

"Yes, I think so."

"You´re going out on a date with a mystery-guy. He could be a mad-man or a crazy-person or an axe-murderer."

"I´m meeting him in a restaurant full of people. I´m not to worried."

"He could spice your food or drink and then kidnap you."

"I´ll be careful. Why do you care, anyway?"

The elevator came to a stop and they both stepped out. House locked their eyes together but there was humor in his. "I don´t." He said.

Cameron let out a small laugh. "You´re an idiot." She said and walked to her car.

House smiled and headed for his motorcycle.

Cameron arrived at the restaurant five minutes early. She got her ticket for her coat and put in her purse and then turned around to see if she saw someone familiar. The usher came to her rescue when he saw how unsure she was. "Dr. Cameron?" He asked.

She looked at him surprised. "Yes."

"Please, follow me. Your table is ready." He said and headed for one of the tables in the back.

As he pulled out her seat she turned to him. "How did you know it was me?"

"Oh, the gentlemen described you very well and told us you would be arriving ahead of him." Wilson had been right, the restaurant was almost full and there were still people being escorted to their seat. The waiter brought over a bottle of red wine and poured some in her glass before leaving it on the table. She noticed it was her favorite.

Cameron looked around. It was almost only couples sitting at the tables but one or two had four or more people. She notices the dress fell perfectly into the environment and most of the men where wearing tuxedos. She slowly sipped her wine and kept her eyes on the entrance waiting for her mystery date.

And all of a sudden there he was. Standing on the other side of the room, in his tuxedo, leaning against his silver-handled cane. Their eyes locked together and sent sparks between them that could almost be felt in the entire room. Cameron´s eyes widened in surprise and her heart took a jump when she realized what was about to happen. She couldn´t take her eyes of him as he slowly made his way through the room.

He smiled when he saw the surprise that came over her face. He never let his gaze drop as he made his way to the table, unaware of the many longing eyes that were sent his way.

As he approached the table she slowly stood up to greet him. He stopped in front of her and looked her over in awe. The skirt came flowing down from her hips and was so long that it almost hid her high heals. The dress hugged her upper body, leaving just the enough for the imagination. The neckline was just low enough to show a hint of cleavage and wide straps fell over her shoulders. She had pulled half of her blond hair up in a small ponytail and curled the few strings in it but otherwise let it hang loose and the natural curls played with her shoulders. The gown was perfect on her and the turquoise-color drew out her beautiful eyes. He was amazed how beautiful she was. He finally met her eyes and saw a smile in them. He smiled back and raised his left hand and held out the rose she had given him earlier today. "Happy Valentines Day." He said with a smirk.

Cameron stood under his gaze and hungrily took in every amount of approval from his gaze and stored it in her memory. She gave out a small laugh when he held out the rose. She took it and moved in closer. She raised her left hand and put it on the back of his neck before reaching up the few inches that separated them and set a small kiss on his right cheek. "Thank you." She whispered and moved away, looking in his eyes with a small smile. "For everything."

House could only look at her and nod, small hint of red came to his face. He knew she was thanking him for the presents today but the way she said it, it had a whole other meaning too it. Suddenly he became aware of the room full of people. He looked around and moved to his seat. The waiter was there instantly, having been watching them and waiting for his cue. He helped them to their seats and then handed them menus to look at. They looked over their menus and soon the waiter came back and took their orders.

Cameron studied him. "House, what is all this? What´s going on?" She asked him suspiciously when she couldn´t find an answer on her own because she had trouble setting her feelings of joy aside.

He looked at her. "I figured I owed you one since our last date went a bit bad."

"Right. You never do anything without a reason. What´s your reason now?"

He looked at her with half a smile. "You ask too many questions. Can we keep the 20 questions and the light bulb out of my face at least until after dinner. I actually want to enjoy this meal."

She looked at him thinking for a minute, wondering if his answer meant she wouldn´t like his reason. "Ok." She said reluctantly. "You pick a topic."

Smile entered his eyes. "Nice earrings."

"Thank you, my grandmothers and my shoes are very comfortable." She answered with a knowing smile.

House nodded with a smile. "Why did you go to Wilson? Did you really think he was behind this?"

"No, but I couldn´t be sure. He actually told me it could be you but I didn´t believe him."

House looked at her suspiciously. "You know me better than that."

"Yes, this is really something you would have pulled out of your hat but you haven´t given me any reason to think it was you."

"And Wilson has?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "We´ve had lunches and dinners. As friends. We are both single and enjoy hanging out. It could well have been Wilson using your tricks. God, know he´s been around you long enough to pick up one or two."

House agreed to that and was very well aware of the lunches and dinners she and Wilson had. He decided to turn the topic to more mutual grounds. "So, how´s the ER?"

The conversation between them went on with ease. She told him about her work and then asked him about his new team and few laughs were done on their expense. House had always thought Cameron cared to much, overanalyzed things and asked to many questions. But that hadn´t stopped images of her and conversations they´d had entering his mind at the most unlikely places, in his office, in Cuddy´s office, in the clinic, in his home, in his bed.

Cameron was thrilled to finally get to spend time with the man she had always known was there but House kept hidden away. He was relaxed and charming but still a very much House with witty comments and playful insights.

Their waiter took their empty plates and filled their wine-glasses and brought them the dessert-menus. They both decided they were too full for desserts so they just ordered coffee and baileys for Cameron and a scotch for House.

Cameron gave him a stare. It was time for 20 questions and they both knew it but Cameron had doubt. She didn´t want to ruin this like the last one.

House saw the uneasiness in her glare. He knew she was getting ready for her 20 questions but he was enjoying his evening more that he thought he would. He pulled out his Vicodin and took one. Might as well be prepared for it.

"Shoot." He said. "I know your eager to start." He said and drowned his pill with a sip of scotch.

"I don´t know. Won´t it just ruin the nice evening we are having?"

House looked at her. She was enjoying the evening too. Should he take it and run with it? He raised his eyebrows when the thought crossed his mind, she would never speak to him again and he would never hear the end of it from Wilson.

"Probable will." He answered truthfully and looked at her with uncertainty.

He watched Cameron limp back in her seat. He felt like the bastard he was. "I was right. You have an agenda and I´m part of it somehow." She looked at him with disappointment. "I´m not going to like it, am I?"

"Nobe." He said and looked her over with his eyebrows raised to see how much he damage he had done. "Two down, eighteen more to go."

Her look hardened with his answer and she sat up straight in her chair. "You´re an ass. You have nothing better to do then to toy with me, I should have walked out of here the minute I saw it was you."

House nodded. "But the fact is you stayed. You stayed because you wanted to stay, you wanted this date and the reason is you still like me." He peered his eyes at her waiting for his confirmation.

She didn´t show one emotion other than anger. She had gotten so good at hiding her emotions from him.

House let out a breath, it was time. He took his cane and watched as he slowly turned it in his hand. "I can´t sleep, I can´t concentrate and I can´t work because you are constantly in my head. I´ve done everything I can come up with, except one thing, to push you out of my head. I just need to get you out of my system."

Cameron watched him in total surprise. "You like me but you don´t want to like me?"

House looked at her totally defeated.

She leaned back in her chair still totally surprised. This was the last thing she was expecting from him. "And what am I supposed to do about your problem?"

House sent her a small frown like her question hurt him.

The realization hit Cameron hard. Chills went down her spine and goosbumps appeared on her arm. She slowly turned her gaze at the rose he had given her. _"….innocent men who hope to get a round in the sack instead,"_ Her eyes became glassy as tears filled them. He was using her, like he always did, and she fell for it, again, like always God, how she hated him. "You should have saved your money and use it on hookers and drugs." She whispered harshly as she got up.

"Cameron." He said and shot up from his chair and grabbed her hand. When she stopped he slowly set her down into the chair next to him. He swallowed hard and looked away when he saw a tear run down her cheek. This was the part he had been dreading all night.

She didn´t look at him. "I can´t believe you are that naïve to think you can get me out of your system by sleeping with me." She said slowly without looking at him..

"I´m not, trust me, this is my last resort. I´ve tried everything else." He looked at her for a moment, she didn´t look at him, another tear ran slowly down her cheek but she did nothing to hide it. He leaned in closer and almost whispered to her. "Allison." Her name rolling of his tongue with such an ease he had to pause for a few seconds. "You still have the need to fix things that are broken or damaged but you´ve also come to realize that you can´t fix everything. You take people and surround them with your kindness and care. Most of the time that people will take advantage of that and you end up getting hurt. I don´t want to take advantage of you."

She turned her head slowly and looked in his eyes. She saw sincerity, something she hadn´t seen in a very long time.

He drew in a slow breath when he saw how vulnerable she was. He looked away not being able to look at her when he confessed why they could never get involved. "I am and always will be an ass. I will end up pushing you away and hurt you even more. I can´t take what you are willing to give me because I don´t have anything to give to you." He thumped his cane a few times. "There is nothing left to give." He said so low she almost didn´t hear it.

She drew in a quick breath when she realized what he had said. She knew they where so untrue but she understood how he would truly believe that they where true, he was damaged. She felt how her eyes started to fill again with tears for him but pushed them with all her effort aside. She need to focus on this matter, she could think about the other stuff later.

If he thought he didn´t have anything to give her this would very likely be the only chance she would ever have to be with him, to actually show him how much she loved him. God, she was weak, she was actually considering this when she should be giving him a slap across his face and storm out. She hated him for putting her in this position to choose but she also knew she could never say no to him.

House watched her with her eyes closed. She was still here, that was a good sign. She wasn´t looking at him, that was a bad sign. The ball was in her court. He was a bastard but, God, how he wanted her.

She locked their eyes together the hurt still visible in her eyes. "I hate you." She said softly.

House could only nod. He understood, he hated himself very much at this moment.

Cameron slowly reached for her purse and rose. She dug out the card for her jacket and held it out to him. "I´m going to freshen up. Meet you up front." He looked at the card in her hand then slowly raised his head to meet her eyes as he took the card from her hand. She sent him a sad smile and headed for the restrooms.

As she walked up the corridor she noticed a trashcan up against the wall. She stopped, looked at the rose and stepped up to the trashcan. It was all a lie, everything was a lie and everybody lied. Except House, he had never lied to her. Played games with her, yes, but never lied about what truly mattered. But this was a lie. Everything that this rose stood for, love… hope… new beginning…, it was all a lie. The rose slowly fell from her hand and into the trash.

He couldn´t believe she was actually going to do this. He watched her as she slowly made her way to the restrooms. She stopped midway in the corridor and stepped up to a trashcan. House observed her profile as she studied the rose in her hand and clenched. She turned the rose a few times between her fingers and raised it to her face to sense the delicate smell before slowly opened her fingers and letting the rose fall into the trashcan. If he wasn´t sure he had broken her heart earlier, he knew now that he had. But it was better to hurt her now then mislead her and do even more damage later on. For someone who took pried in never lying he was doing a number on himself tonight.


	2. Tiptoing

Wilson sat in his office on Wednesday-morning and though about his friend. He had been unusually quiet since his date with Cameron. He still yelled at the nurses and mocked the innocent patients of the clinic but it was like his heart wasn´t in it. He was, if possible, more miserable then usual. A quiet knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts. "Come in."

The elegant Dean of Medicine entered the room and took a seat across from him. She had never been one to tiptoe around things. "What´s wrong with House?"

Wilson raised his brows in question. "What did he do now?"

"Nothing, that´s the point. For the past two day´s he´s been in on time, done his four hours of clinic-duty without as much as a squeak and he´s actually seeing patients. He has seen more patients for the past two days then he did in December and January combined. Not that I don´t like him actually doing his job, but……." She trailed off.

"It´s not like House."

"Well, yes. Do you know anything?"

Wilson considered for two minutes if he should tell Cuddy about the date but decided against it. "I´ll talk to him." Wilson said without looking at Cuddy.

"Good." She said and wondered if she should press Wilson to tell her what he obviously knew. She got up. "You keep me posted, alright?"

"Sure."

Cuddy silently closed the door as she left.

This was not good. Something major had happen for House to actually look for distractions in the clinic of all places. Wilson decided he had to corner House somehow and make him talk, no matter what. That one was not going to be easy.

The only light in the room came from the streetlight from outside her window, falling on her bare body which laid before him. Her skin smooth as silk, responding to his every touch, every kiss, every nibble. Her eyes shone the love and desire she had for him, sending him silent message of how long she had been waiting for him. He rolled them, letting her straddle him. Closing his eyes, taking in her slow strokes over his chest followed by feather light kisses. She raised herself up and whispered his name. "House……House…..House." Except it wasn´t her voice it was……Wilson´s.

House woke up with a startle. He was in his recliner in his office, Wilson was shaking him, calling his name. He rose up and felt the sharp pain running up his leg along with his massive hard on pressing against his jeans. He grunted and took a Vicodin, rubbing his leg rapidly. _Demit, he´d had that dream again._ Wilson brought over his cup filled with newly brewed coffee.

"You look like hell." He said as he extended the cup.

"You are as comforting as ever." House mocked and took a sip of his coffee still rubbing his thigh.

Wilson turned one of House´s chairs to face him and took a seat. "Cuddy came to see me. She is worried there might be something wrong."

"Why?" House frowned, not being able to think off anything he had done. Hmm, maybe that was the problem.

"You´re doing your clinic hours and seeing patients. Apparently you´ve reached this and last months quota." Wilson watched House carefully, the leg rubbing not going past him even though the Vicodin should have kicked in by now. He looked like he was hung over, sleep deprived and in pain.

House snorted and stood up, slowly putting weight on his leg. "I don´t do my job and she´s on my ass. I do my job and she´s on my ass. There is just no way to please that woman."

"But why are you doing clinic-hours, you avoid the clinic like the plague."

House sent him a big smirk and started phasing the length of the office to get his mind of the pain.

"What am I saying, you would run toward the plague not away from it but you get my point. So what is going on?"

"I needed the distraction."

"The TV or the PSP not doing their jobs anymore? What changed?"

"Nothing." House answered and went into the conference room but unfortunately the door didn´t close behind him so Wilson could keep up his conversation.

"You look like you haven´t slept for a week, overmedicated and your leg is bothering you more than usual. I´m guessing it has something to do with a certain date you went on about a week ago." Wilson looked so relaxed in the chair, he could have been talking about the weather but he was watching House´s every reaction.

House stopped and looked at Wilson. "Stop analyzing me. It has nothing to do with Cameron." He argued as he entered to room again.

"So there is a something, then?"

"No!" He yelled. He turned on his TV to show Wilson how wrong he was and took a seat in his chair. "We had one date. That´s it. End of story. Happy now?"

"Are you going to ask her out again?"

"No." House said and pretended to be stuck in General Hospital.

Wilson didn´t buy it for a minute. The way he was twirling his cane between his fingers gave away how lost he was in his thoughts. "I don´t get it. She likes you and you like her." House looked at him with a warning look in his eyes but it didn´t scare Wilson of the topic. "You take her out on a date and it goes well but you are not going to ask her out again." Wilson paused to see any reaction but didn´t get any.

"House, something obviously happened between you two and it´s getting to you. She is getting to you. Look at you, you´re a mess. Now get your act together and do something about it." Wilson stood up and grabbed his prescription pad and wrote on two. "Please, try not to overdose on what ever you are taking. I don´t want to find you dead on your couch because you didn´t show up for work." He said as he laid the papers on the desk and left him alone in his misery.

It bothered House how close to home Wilson had struck. He wasn´t sleeping because every time he closed his eyes and dosed off images of their night together would come to his mind and he would wake up in sweat and with a big hard on. So he had been drinking more in hope his mind would black out the memories but he had always been a light drinker and he hated being hung-over beside from the fact that the Vicodin didn´t work as well when he drank much. Therefore he had turned to his private stash of morphine to get much needed sleep. He hated doing it because when the morphine wore off his leg hurt more and the Vicodin really didn´t seem to kick in so in turn he took more Vicodin. It was a vicious cycle and he knew it, and it was worse then before the date and their night together.

And what a night. It had been such a long time since he had made love to a woman. Of course there had been his 'distractions' and one night stands he had picked up at bars but they were only to fulfill his need for sex. And he had made love to Allison that night. She had given herself to him completely, he had sensed it in her every move. It made him feel special, something he hadn´t felt in a long time, giving her everything he could in return, hoping she would feel just as special. It had been magical, unreal almost. If it hadn´t been for the mind blowing orgasm and the muffled cry he heard as he walked out the door, he would have believed it was all a dream.

He had held her tight in his arms afterwards, with sweet caress and soft words, he had waited until he felt and heard the steady rhythm of her breathing in her sleep. He hadn´t wanted to leave, he had wanted to burry his face in the crook of her neck and fall asleep himself but he had resisted and slowly moved out of the bed, dressing himself in the living room. But as he opened the front door he had heard the sound he wasn´t supposed to hear. A soft sniff and a cry muffled by her pillow. He had fought the urge to run back in and gather her in his arms, comforting her, making love to her all over again. Instead he had walked out and slowly shut the door behind him.

That is when his insomnia had started. He hadn´t been able to even think about going to sleep, alone in his cold bed, after he came home. He had poured himself drink after drink and played his piano, recalling every touch, every sound, every kiss of their lovemaking until mid morning. Then he was drunk enough too not think about it and crashed on the couch, not even bothering to call in sick on Friday-morning.

If that hadn´t been bad enough the white box that waited for him on his desk, Monday-morning, was. He knew without looking at the short note that laid on top of the box, that it was from her. "You should return it." Was all it read. Inside was the dress he had bought her. She had probable slip it inside his office sometimes during the weekend since he hadn´t been able to sleep and had come in to work on time. He understood her not wanting to have anything around that reminded her off his betrayal but his chest tighten when the feeling of hurt ran over him.

House reached for the prescriptions Wilson had wrote and read them. One was for Vicodin the other one read: "Talk to Cameron." House frowned. He also knew Wilson was right, if he kept this up he would end up OD at his piano or couch. He needed to do something. He was scared shitless of her, of her love, her control over him, her ability to hurt him. That´s why he had been fighting this from day one. He didn´t want to like her but she had found her way to his heart. Day by day, hour by hour, second by second she had search for cracks in his armor and squeezed herself inside. He looked back at the prescription. Maybe it was time to face the fear. Just maybe…….

Cameron mentally kicked herself for the thousand time. "You, idiot. How could you let this happen?" The weekend had been horrible, well, wonderful up to the point of House leaving her apartment, after that it had been all down hill. She had trouble sleeping, was restless and down. She tried as hard as she could to push him and their night out of her mind but there where things everywhere to remind her of this special night.

The ride to her place had been filled with awkward silence and tension. As soon as she had opened the door and put her jacket on the hanger he had swiftly turned her around, pinning her against the wall with his body. Even though she was wearing high heals he had hovered over her, the hunger evident in his clear blue eyes. He hadn´t given her a moment to think before crushing her lips with his, fast and hard. It wasn´t soft and testing like their first kiss but demanding and harsh. She had given out a small cry to his demand and instantly he had backed off and soften the kiss, gently stroking his tongue over her lips, asking for permission to explore, which she gave willingly, digging his hands in her hair, pulling her even closer if that was possible.

Slowly they had made their way to the bedroom, House loosing his clothes on the way until he caught her in the doorway of the bedroom trailing kisses along her neck and shoulders as he let the dress drop, taking a deep breath as he discovered she wasn´t wearing anything but very feminine boxers under it. She had given him everything she had that night, her soul, her body, her love. And she had felt he didn´t hold himself back, but gave her as much as he could. What a breathtaking night, she had never experienced such a bliss, so much intimacy and emotions. He had made her feel like she was the one. Afterwards she had fallen asleep in his arms feeling safe for the first time in a long time, just to be woken as he quietly slipped out off the bed and out of the room. She had cried herself back to sleep after he left, not being able to shake the feeling of being used. But she had agreed to this and in a way she was glad it had happened, now she knew her dreams where no match to the real thing.

Friday had started by her tearing all the sheets of the bed and wash his smell from them. She washed them twice just to be sure there was no trace of him left. Then she had picked up the dress and had packed it in it´s box, packing all memories of him along with it. It was time to move on, wrap one Greg House and every emotion he had brought out of her in a neat little box in the back of her mind. If only it was that easy. As she laid in her bed that evening, all the memories came back hunting her, making her toss and turn into the early morning.

Saturday and Sunday passed in a slow build up emotionally. She had realized the Cameron-House saga had finally come to an end. That is until she found House´s sock under the couch as she rapidly cleaned the apartment and she broke down all over again.

By Wednesday she had found her anger. Chopping down vegetable for dinner and mentally cursing herself for not having more of a backbone when it came to her former boss and cursing him for doing a number on her. She hadn´t seen him since he left her that night, they hadn´t even run into each other at the hospital, then again he worked in a different wing then she did. "Stop it, Allison Cameron." She yelled at her self but then set out a small cry as the knife slipped and sliced into her left hand thumb. With frustration she grabbed the towel and wrapped around her finger just as there was a knock on the front door. She cursed whom ever didn´t have sense to leave her alone in her misery. She took a deep breath, who ever it was on the other side didn't deserve her frustration being taken out on them.

She opened the door and purposefully hid her left hand behind the wall. She was taken aback when she saw House stand in the hallway, quietly thumping his cane against the floor. He had on a half smile and she could feel his blue eyes studying her.

His stubbles where longer than usual meaning he hadn´t run his racer through them in a few days. His eyes where a bit puffed like he had been out partying all night and he really, really looked beat.

"What are you doing here?"

"Doctors orders." House answered and handed her the note from Wilson. Cameron forgot her hand for a moment and brought it out to be able to unfold the note. Her smile was sad as she read the note. House peered his eyes on her hand.

"What happened?" He said as he stepped into the apartment and took her hand.

"Nothing. The knife just slipped and I cut myself, it´s nothing." Cameron tried to pull it away from him but he held on tight. He slowly pulled away the towel and looked at the wound.

"It needs to be cleaned." He said and put the towel back over it and half pushed her trough the living room and into the kitchen.

"I know and I´m perfectly capable of doing that my self."

He didn´t listen just sat her down by the kitchen table.

"First aid kit?" He asked her. She let out a sight, he wasn´t going to listen to her.

"Corner cabinet." She beckoned and House opened it and found a well stashed kit.

He took a seat across from her and took out the antiseptic, some cloth and band aid.

"Ok, let me see." He said and held out his hand for hers.

Cameron just stared at him almost stubbornly. Their eyes locked for a moment before she set her hand in his. He gently pulled the towel away and poured the antiseptic over the wound. She hissed at the pain. He looked at her but her concentration was on her hand, even with a frown on her face she looked amazing. He let out a small smile as he watched her blow on her hand. He cleaned the wound with the cloth and looked at it more closely. Cameron studied his face as he examined her, the concern in his gaze made her hold her breath, how could anyone say he didn´t care.

"It´s deep but doesn´t need stitches." He took his time putting the band aid over the wound. He let his hand hold hers between his thumb and fingers as he looked at her. "You´re going to be off work for couple of days." Cameron met his gaze, their simple touch sent a wave of desire over them. Cameron slowly removed her hand without breaking the eye contact. "Thank you." She whispered.

House nodded and sent her a small grin. "I guess we´re even." Both remembered the time she came over to his place and as he was detoxing and had cut himself to gain some relief from the pain. She sent him a small smile back.

The oven-alarm rang. Cameron stood up but House was faster and pushed her back down. "Sit, I´ll do it." He found the mittens and removed the chicken and potatoes from the oven. It looked delicious. House looked at all the food. "You´re having people over?"

"No." She said and stood up. "The rest is for a chicken-salad tomorrow." She reached for the cabinet and pulled out two plates. "If you finish cutting down the vegetables, I guess I could feed you." She said with a tired smile. "But I´m still mad at you." She added when she found the silverware.

House smiled a small smile and fought the urge to take her into his arms hug her tightly for not kicking him out, which he fully deserved. He took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair before resuming her previous position at the cutting board. After cleaning the knife he skillfully cut the rest of the vegetables into the bowl while Cameron set the table. "You´re pretty good at that."

"Do you think I live on Rubens and take outs?"

"No, I thought you asked Wilson over three times a week to cook a descent meal for both of you." Cameron grinned.

"Well, maybe once a week." He answered with a small laugh.

"I´ve got beer, white wine, milk and water. What would you like?"

"Beer, would be good." He said and set the salad on the table.

Cameron opened and set two beers on the table before sitting down. House brought the food with him to the table as he sat down. "Dig in." She said with a smile.

She didn´t have to offer twice. He filled his plate, feeling hungry suddenly after not eating a proper meal in almost a week.

"This is really good." He said as he tasted the chicken. Actually it was perfect, not to wet and not to dry.

"Thank you." She sent him a beaming smile. "So, any interesting cases?"

House made a frown. "No, I´m still getting used to the new set of ducklings. Did you know 13 dared to say no when I told her to do my mail?"

Cameron laughed. "Poor, House, has to do his mail all by himself."

"Fat chance. I make Kutner do it." House grinned at his brilliancy.

Cameron set out a loud laugh."I should have known you would find some way to avoid it."

House smiled and took in her laughter.

"But really, how is the new team?"

House set out a sight. "Even after eight weeks of trial they still haven´t got into the right rhythm. Sometimes I feel like I have to push them together to get some result." He looked at her. "But it was the same with you guys. Once everyone has found their role in the differential hopefully it will run just as smoothly as it did with the all of you."

Cameron thought for a moment. This was the first time House actually spoke about his old team as a whole. He sounded like he missed them. "Do you miss us? I mean, do you miss our team?" She asked him curiously

House considered her question. Did he miss them? "Yes and no. You all knew your role and it worked for all of us.…." With a big grin he added. "….but the past few months have been a blast." Cameron smiled, she knew how much he enjoyed his games. House got serious. "But now the real work starts, finding the right rhythm that works for everyone. I hate training new people." He sent her a grin, "To much work."

Cameron set out a small laugh. Their eyes locked together and House could feel how the heat went straight to his crotch, making his member shift. He looked away and stood up, starting to clear the table.

She watched him turn the water on and start to clean of the plates. "You do dishes too?" She asked teasingly.

"Well, I can´t just let them pile up in the sink….. unless Wilson is coming over, then I collect for two or three days." He answered with a grin.

Cameron smiled but got serious as silence fell on them.

"Why are you here?" She broke the silence. House turned his head and looked at her but she wasn´t looking at him. He observed the way she clenched and held her beer tightly in her hand.

House drew in a long breath. "I told you, doctors orders."

"Cut the crap or get out." She said harshly now sending him a hard stare.

No, no, not now, not when it was going so well. Maybe if he tried another light comment. "Apparently I´m……"

"House." She got up and stood next to him, her arms crossed over her chest, furry in her eyes. "Either tell me the real reason you are here or get out."

House leaned on his hands on the counter. It was now or never. She knew him too well, he couldn't lie to her. He let his head drop, did he really want this? Maybe…maybe he should just get the hell out of there. Every cell in his brain told him it was the right move but every cell in his body told him to stay.

Somewhere he found the words without looking at her. "I can´t sleep, because each time I drift into sleep…….. I see……us…..together……So I drink to forget and when the scotch doesn´t do the job I take something to help me sleep……."

"What do you take?" She interrupted him.

"Morphine." He admitted, his head staying down, not looking at her but feeling her standing so close.

"But my leg….." He trailed off, standing and turning his back at her, placing one hand on the counters on each side of the kitchen putting his weight on his left leg. He didn´t want to see her concern, her discuss as he admitted his addiction.

"House." She whispered and he could feel her step up to his back and all of a sudden her hands where around his waist, her head resting against his back. She gave him a small squeeze to encourage him. "Please." She wanted to hear it all.

"The morphine and the scotch make me sleep so hard I don´t wake up in the middle of the night too the pain and therefore when I finally do wake up to it….." He said quietly and placing his right hand over hers…."I have to take a double doze of Vicodin just to get me out of bed in the morning….and during the day I´m hung over and high so I can´t concentrate….I can´t work."

Cameron closed her eyes and tighten her grip around his waist, whishing she could take some of the pain away. "We seem to have a similar problem." She whispered to his back. "I can´t sleep either."

He slowly turned around in her arms and locked their eyes together, resting his arms by his side.

"I crawl up in bet and if I close my eyes….." Cameron shook her head. "I toss and turn all night and when I get to work, I´m so afraid my tiredness will end up hurting someone."

House sent her a small smile. "If only I hadn´t planned Valentines day."

"We would be in our own corners and not……here." She stated quietly.

He looked in her eyes and pushed a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. "I can´t give you anymore then this." He whispered. She needed to understand, he couldn´t…wouldn´t risk his heart again.

Cameron looked away and set her forehead on his chest, giving it a slight shake at his stubbornness. Didn´t he see that coming back to her meant he cared deeply for her, it wouldn´t be that simple to get her out of his system. But she wanted him so much….she would agree to almost anything to have him, have everything he was willing to give her. "I know." She whispered back.

He gently pulled her hair, making her look up to him. He was amazed at that just having her in his arms, breathing in her scent, made the pool of heat in his stomach grow. Made him want her more.

"Allison." He whispered as their eyes locked. Their eyes showing matching hunger and desire for each other. He wasn´t sure about this, it would only bring hurt and pain on them but, oh god, he wanted her so badly. He should go before it was to late.

The decision was made for him as she pulled him down and her sweet lips touched his in a soft kiss, it was all he could bear. He crashed down on her, taking in everything she had to give, pushing her up against the counter and pressing his body against hers, letting her feel the effects she had on him. But his brain took over, damn his brain, he had to know everything, so he pulled away and buried his face in the soft curve of her neck. "How long?" He asked, catching his breath, hating himself for asking.

Cameron was confused. "How long, what?" Her fingers where caressing his back and the back of his neck.

"How long until we stop, a week, a month. Just one more time, five times, ten times? How long?" They way her body tensed in his arms told him everything, he pressed his lips against her neck in despaired need to win her back.

"Does there have to be a limit or expiration date?" She asked quietly, relaxing into his caress a little.

Of course there had to be a limit. He needed limits so he wouldn´t fall for her, so he would know, this is it….no more. He took a deep breath and her scent filled him, made him lightheaded with desire. "Yes." He said quietly.

Cameron pulled away and looked at him, searching his face. This was some kind of defense mechanism on his part. He was putting space between them so this would be easier for him. She chose her words carefully, to tell him she wanted this as much as he did. "If there has to be a timeline or limits, you have to set them because….." Her glance dropped to his chest and she started tracing the pattern on his T. "…..honestly…..when it comes to you, I have no limits." She locked her gaze with his eyes again and sent him a small confident smile.

She slowly walked out of his embrace and started down the hall, taking off her T-shirt and letting it drop on the floor before moving her hands to her jeans and undoing them. She stopped in the doorway to her bedroom and looked at him smiling. "Are you coming?"

As soon as she was out of sight she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She hoped she had been reading him right, she knew him so well. Every stare, every small smile, every twirl of his cane gave out clues about his mood or chain of thoughts. Well, she didn´t know this wonderful soft side of him, she knew he had been hiding it from her and sometimes she had gotten glimpse of him, but she had never dealt with him up front.

She was not making it easy for him to decide. She had given him all control, it was coming or going, heaven or hell? He had gotten to see what hell looked like and didn´t have much of a desire to go back, but he had also gotten a peak into heaven and what a place. If he could only just let it be about sex, it would be simple. And when he´d had enough of her, gotten her out of his system, he would stop and walk away. It was a plan…now just to find a way to execute it.

He shook out and swallowed a Vicodin, drowning it down with the rest of the beer before picking up his cane and slowly tracing her steps. Her T-shirt gained a partner on the floor and his jeans ended by the doorway when he saw she was already under the covers waiting for him.

The faint light from the lamp on the nightstand filled the room with golden glow, making shadows on the opposite wall of the entwined bodies on the bed. Their lovemaking bore a hint of desperation.

He feared this big blast of desired and need for her that had taken over him. He tried to hold back as he got lost in her, again and again until he finally fell asleep at her chest with her arms tightly around him, comforting him. He slept a real sleep for the first time in a week.

She feared he would never realize how much she loved him and wanted to be with him always. She tried to show him through her kisses and caress that he was 'the one' for her but she got lost in him, over and over again, until he laid his head on her chest and she tightly pulled him closer in her arms, drifting without effort into sleep for the first time in a week.

Cameron woke up at her usual time. She normally woke up before her alarm anyway but in last nights activities she had forgotten to set it. She didn´t open her eyes, just took in the scent and heat from the body laying next to her. When she opened her eyes she realized they where almost face to face, their tangled feet, his arm secure around her waist, holding her close to him. She slowly ran her hand over his cheek. "Good morning." She whispered and let her hand trace down his neck, over his shoulder and down his arm to his elbow before trailing back upwards.

"No, it´s not. It´s not morning, it´s the middle of the night." He mumbled, almost not making himself understandable. He moved his hand and pulled her even closer and laid a soft kiss on her lips when their nose touched. "What time is it anyway?"

"6:30" Cameron smiled.

House let out a growl. "It is inhumane to wake up at that hour."

Cameron gave him a flip on the shoulder with a smile on her face. "Hey, my bed, my rules and I say no snarky comments in my bed."

At that House peered one eye open and looked down on her. "Does that mean I can make snarky comments in my bed?"

Cameron let out a giggle. "Yes, but I can´t promise you I´ll be in it."

"Well, I guess I´ll have to stay in yours then and that´s OK because…." He grinned at her. "Rules are meant to be broken." He looked down on her and saw her smile and his gut turned. It had been so good to wake up next to her after a good night sleep. He wondered if she had a romantic notion about them….a happy ever after.

He let her go when she moved out of bed, she did nothing to try to cover herself up and he sat up in to enjoyed the view of her gorgeous body until he looked in her face.

"Cameron, let go of that smirk, you already got me in your bed, no need to gloat about it."

She stopped at the end of the bed and turned to him. "I´m happy and there is nothing you can say or do to make it go away."

"Are you challenging me?" He half joked, half serious.

Her smile grew bigger if possible. "No, I´m telling you." She bent down and picked up his jeans by the doorway, pulling out his Vicodin.

He got serious. "Cameron, there is no more than this."

Her eyes never lost that glow but her smile got softer as she looked at him. "But it´s something." She said and threw him the pillbox which he caught. She walked out of the room and House could hear her busying herself in the kitchen.

She said 'it´s something'….not 'it´s a start' or 'it´s just the beginning.' Did that mean she understood he wasn´t willing to start a relationship with her? He looked at the box in his hand and took one. His leg wasn´t bothering him as much as before.

"I´m going to take a shower, care to join me?"

After a quick (well, maybe not so quick) shower and a cup of coffee, and a small argument of why she was heading for work with a deep cut on her hand ("Paperwork." was all Cameron said and the argument fell down on it´s own), they headed out. House paused outside. He wasn´t sure what she expected and didn´t want to get her hopes up. She was running late so in a hurry she gave him a quick peek on the cheek. "I hope to see you tonight, if not, I understand." and with that she quickly walked to her car, leaving him standing alone with his thoughts.


	3. Silent Agreement

Time past. House found himself working his life around her schedule. When she had evening or night shifts he would stay at his apartment, have Wilson over for dinner, poker-nights, TV and his piano. Those shifts gave them the breake they needed from each other. He was back to his 'miserable' self, mocking Cuddy and the nurses, having 'heart to heart' with Wilson. Cuddy and Wilson noticed he was back but agreed to not press him, just glad he was feeling better but not knowing why. Wilson suspected it had something to do with Cameron.

House usually went home after work and packed down clean clothes to take with him to Cameron´s and spent a few hours over TV or piano. Around 10 in the evening he would use his cane to knock on her door, fearing this was the time she wouldn´t let him in but she always did, with a bright smile because she had feared this was the night he wouldn´t show up.

He always went to her place, she never came to his. He liked it that way, knowing he was able to leave when ever he wanted to, he was in control. In the mornings they would have breakfast, cup of coffee and casual conversations before departing with a quick kiss outside.

Slowly he started forgetting his things at her place, magazines, medical journals and clothes he wore when he came over. One evening when he asked her about his dirty clothes he had forgotten, she smiled and let him into the bedroom, showing him a drawer with his clothes, clean and neatly folded. She had left the bedroom to let him process the thought he had a drawer at her place. She had been sitting stiff on her couch when he came out, fearing he would empty the drawer and run out but instead he had taken her hand and led her back into the bedroom.

The next evening he had tried to stay away, the drawer scared him, he knew it meant he was getting too involved. He had given up at 2 a.m. after not being able to fall asleep. He went over to her apartment and she answered the door in her PJ´s, hair tangled and eyes red and puffed from crying. The show of relief in her face when she discovered it was him at her door, made his gut turn, he was the reason she had been crying. No words where spoken as she let him in the apartment and into her bedroom. They never spoke of the drawer but House started considering it as 'his' drawer, searching through it in the mornings to find clothes.

They never seemed to get enough of each other in the bedroom. Their need for each other and closeness seemed to grow rather then fade. Even when Cameron confessed one evening in the doorway, with slight embarrassment, she was 'benched' for a 5 days, House had just frown at her before smiling and kissing her on the cheek saying: "You hate sport metaphors and you are very well aware I´m the only one allowed to do metaphors." and walked right passed her and into the apartment. Those night he held her close to him until she had initiated their lovemaking again.

No one at PPHT picked up on their relationship. Cameron went on like she always did. House sat in his office, tackled cases as they came by him, watched TV, did pranks on his team and avoided clinic-duty. He remained quiet about his 'relationship' with Cameron but found it extremely funny how such an obvious thing could go unnoticed by Wilson and Cuddy.

On Thursday, exactly 4 weeks after Valentines day, Cameron had an evening shift so House decided it would be a good idea to have his friend over and cook for them. He was unaware that this decision was just the beginning of one crazy weekend. Wilson thought enough time had passed and it was time to tackle his friend about Cameron. As they sat down on the couch each with a plate full of delicious food and their beers resting on the coffee table, Wilson saw an opening.

"So, how´s Cameron?" He said casually, never looking away from the TV.

House shot his friend a strange look. "What do you mean?"

Wilson chuckled. "You´ve been acting less miserable for about three weeks now. I know you talked to her."

"So, I talked to her." House pretended to be very involved in the TV.

"Common, House, there is more to it than that." Wilson pressed.

"Maybe."

Wilson looked at House and studied him. "You´re dating her?"

House thought for a moment, was that what they were doing?. "Nobe."

"But you are seeing her?" Wilson asked with surprise.

"Isn´t dating and seeing the same thing?"

"Fine, you´re sleeping with her then." Wilson threw at him as a joke.

House paused for a moment. "Yes." He said firmly and looked at Wilson.

"What!" Wilson shouted in shock.

House laughed at the shocked look that came over Wilson.

"You´re sleeping with her but not dating her?" Wilson said to confirm

"That´s what I said…well, you said it, I confirmed."

Wilson thought for a moment. "So this is like the 'friends with benefit'-thing she had with Chase."

House didn´t like that comparison. He wanted to believe it was different, it was more.

"House, you´re an idiot. I can´t believe she agreed to this." Wilson said, taking Houses silence as a confirmation to his statement.

"She said yes….actually she said yes in so many ways." House mocked.

Wilson sighted but he knew House was trying to groze him out so he would change the subject. "You know she´s going to end up hurt when you stop."

"We both know that." He said quietly.

"You want to hurt her?"

"Of course not. But it´s not like I control her feelings."

"No, only your actions." Wilson said quietly. House stared at his friend, he actually made sense somehow. "But why Cameron?" Wilson pressed.

"Are you kidding me, the sex is great, actually it´s more then great."

"You can have good sex with just about anybody, why Cameron?"

House drew in a deep breath and decided that not answering that question would be a good idea.

"You like her." Wilson stated.

"I like things the way they are. It´s……simple." House said firmly.

Wilson looked at his friend. "The 'House plus Cameron'- equation always equalizes complications. It´s been that way since the day you hired her."

House didn´t have an answer to that one and Wilson decided to change the topic. He had gotten his confirmation, it was more then he expected but maybe it was a start. Rest of the evening flew by as they watched TV and joked around, enjoying the good company and friendship.

Around midnight Wilson had done the dishes and said his goodnight. House went to bed after finishing his beer at his piano. His conversation with Wilson had woken up many questions. He had to agree that Wilson was right about them, when it came to him and Cameron nothing was simple but somehow they had found a common ground and silent agreement had been made not to do anything to jeopardize the unstable foundation.

He did like things the way they where. He could come and go as he pleased, he had found out she was just as bigger teaser as he was just in a gentler way, she understood his sense of humor, and he had noticed that when his leg hurt she tried not to show how worried she was and staied out of his way. He enjoyed their conversations about news, something his team did, something Wilson or Cuddy had said, ways to avoid clinic-duty, teaching her about monster trucks and wrestling…..common stuff……he liked that it never got too serious.

The rain fell hard on the window outside as the Mars-weather picked up. House tossed and turned in his bed, looking at their 'relationship' from all different angles. At 2 a.m. he was startled by someone opening his front door. He quickly got out of bed and grabbed his cane. When he came into the hallway he switched the light on, ready to face the burglar. The soft glow fell on a very exhausted and soaked Cameron. "What´s wrong?" He asked with surprise.

When she heard his soft voice she walked up to him and started crying hard at his chest. Unconsciously he wrapped his arms around her shaking body and hugged her tight to his chest, not noticing she was making his T and PJ-bottoms wet. "Cameron?" The concern obvious in his voice.

"I….I couldn´t ….save……them…." She sopped as she clung to his chest.

House figured something must have happened at work. "Com´on." He said softly and guided them into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and then slowly undressed her and put her under the warm shower before stripping himself and joining her. He held her up tight against his chest as and caressed her back, waiting for the heat to warm her cold body and slow down her sops. He quickly dried them off and dressed in T´s and boxers before settling them under the covers. He wrapped her in his arms, resting her head on his left arm, placing a soft kiss on top of her head as she snuggled closer. "Better?" He whispered.

She nodded.

"Wanna tell me what happened?"

"There was a pile up on the high way. We took the heat of it, mostly cuts and bruises, people getting checked out. There was an oil-truck that lost control and started sliding. The trailer hit a SUV…" She tensed in his arms and he slowly caressed her back and held her. "…and crushed it against one of the bridge-poles. There was a family of five in the car….. " Quietly tears started to roll down. House closed his eyes and knew what came next. "….The dad and the oldest child, a boy about nine, where pronounced on the scene….but the mom and the other kids where brought to us…..and there was nothing we could do…..one was a girl about three and the other one….was…..was…just a baby." She was holding a fears grip on his T and pulling him as close as she could, feeling his comfort and support.

House wasn´t sure what to do so he just held her until her sobs had become quiet. She moved her hands under his T and started caressing his chest. She stared kissing his neck exactly the way he liked. "Allison?" He raised himself up on his elbow and looked down at her.

"Please, Greg. I want to feel something else then this."

He softly made love to her, taking his time and taking care of her. As they laid still waiting for their hearts to slow down, she softly whispered: "I´m sorry."

"About what?" House replied without opening his eyes.

"I broke the rules."

"What rules?"

"Our rules."

"What do you mean?" But he knew.

"I came to your place…..I just…."

"I know…. it´s OK." He whispered to in her hair and placed a kiss in her shoulder. They quickly drifted into sleep, both drained. As House was between sleep and wake he discovered he really was OK with her coming to him.

Cameron woke up late and alone in his bed. She had a full three day weekend ahead of her. She slowly stretched like a cat and buried her face in his pillow, taking in his scent. Her mind drifted to the night before and how wonderful he had been. A soft smile came on her lips. She rose and found the T and boxer her had dressed her in the night before and quickly pulled them on. As she entered the kitchen she found a note by the coffee maker, scribbled by his almost unreadable hand.

Your clothes are in the dryer. No rush.

Cameron had some coffee and decided to explore. She had only been here a few times always during evenings or nights. Now she slowly walked around and took everything in. Books upon books, all about medicine in one way or the other. CD´s with all kinds of music, vinyl-records mostly jazz. She took a seat at his piano, knowing he spent a fairly good amount of time at it. She raised the lid and slowly ran her fingers over the keys without hitting a single note. This was his cave, the place he went for release. Cameron wondered if he missed not having a piano at her place. She shook her head, he didn´t need a piano at her place, soon he was going to put an end to this.

She took a deep breath and closed the piano, pushing the thought away. She found her clothes, smiling when she noticed he had laid her bra and panties on top of the dryer. He had probable seen them on the clothesline in her apartment and taken a mental note, like he always did about everything. She got dressed and left the apartment.

At 10 p.m. she received a text message from House.

_Have a case wont make it until later._

_OK. Just use the spare key. Do you know where it is?_ she sent back. She smiled, he was letting her know he would be late, which meant he was coming over.

_Jabb_

That reply made Cameron laugh. She snuggled up in the living room over a movie before heading for bed. He sneaked in at 2 a.m. She woke up when his weight settled into the mattress and rolled over to him. "Is the patient better?" She whispered in his chest.

"No. But stable at the moment." He said tiredly but reached for her. Their release was fast and soon Cameron was back to sleep but House couldn´t shut his brain down. Not wanting to wake up Cameron he quietly moved out of bed and pulled on his boxers and jeans. He searched her desk for a writing pad, pulled out the patient file and glasses from his backpack and sunk himself into the diagnostic.

He was standing by the window looking over the sleeping Princeton when he felt her arms come around him from behind. "Can´t sleep?" she asked to his back.

"No." He said tiredly and pulled her around into his arms. He noticed she was wearing his T and nothing else.

She was well aware that he didn´t sleep if the case was exceptionally hard. He would be sound asleep if his team was in the lap running tests, doing something but now it was up to him to solve the puzzle. "May I take a look?" She looked up at him.

He looked down at her and nodded. Maybe she could bring in a new angle.

She found her reading glasses and started reading through the file and looking at the CT-images of the patient´s brain. "There is nothing there." House said frustrated.

She sent him a patience look and set the MRI away. "I know, but I need to see it for myself."

House nodded, understanding, but starting to phase in frustration.

She studied the chart a bit more and the symptoms he had written down on the pad. "I think it´s autoimmune." She said and looked at him.

House snorted and frowned. "That´s a big help, now all I need is Foreman to tell me it´s Lupus and Chase to tell he´s got an infection." He stopped, set left his hand on the back of the neck and took a deep breath. "There is no organ-failure nor inflammation." He said.

"Did you MRI his heart?"

"No. Why?" He looked at her curiously.

"He came in complaining of chest pain and fatigue. He also had a fever and his whites where slightly elevated. He descried the chest pain as a pain in his left shoulder and neck which could easily be dismissed as a small heart attack. But when the cardiogram showed nothing I assume the case landed on your desk?"

House nodded.

"This type of chest pain rarely comes with pericarditis but it´s known to happen. Not all autoimmune-diseases come with such a little elevation of white blood cells but there are a few."

House looked at her and then took in what she had said. Then it all clicked in his head. Cameron watched in amazement as he had his light bulb moment. She knew he had solved the puzzle.

"It´s Still-disease. We dismissed it earlier because the spleen and liver where fine."

"Isn´t he a bit old for Still-disease?"

"It´s very uncommon in adults but does exist."

He returned his gaze at her and noticed her soft smile. He limped over to her and bent down setting a small kiss on her lips. "Sorry, I need this." He said as he pulled his T over her head. He studied her naked body sitting on the couch as he pulled the T over his own head. She was amazingly beautiful with only her glasses on. He hurried to the door and put his shoes on and was almost out the door when she pasted him on her way to the bedroom. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss as he stroked her bare bottom.

_I love you_ , ran through his mind and he let her go like he had gotten burned. "I´ll call you later." He said and hurried out the door.

Cameron noticed the change in him. She watched him shut the door behind him and wondered what had just happened. Had she overstepped the invisible line but the kiss didn´t indicate it. Then what was it, what changed?

The patient finally got better. Early Saturday morning House packed his backpack and went to his apartment. He was dead tired and went straight to bed when he came home. He was so tired of everything. The pain in his leg, this 'thing' with Cameron, not knowing if she was going to kick him out or if he should walk away, fighting his feeling for Cameron….. House snorted to himself. If he was fighting his feelings for Cameron it meant he felt something for her…..He did, he loved her.

House waited for the panic and fear to come over him but all he felt was his body relaxing as heat ran through his body. An image came to his mind of a smiling, happy Cameron, her eyes full of love and laughter. Another came to mind of Cameron´s eyes full of hunger and lust for him. Another one of her from last night sitting naked on the couch, her eyes showing patience, pride and love for him as they tackled the case. He was sound of sleep, his dream full of the woman who had taken over his heart.

House slept for 12 hours, waking up once to the pain in his leg but after taking a Vicodin rolled on his other side and kept on sleeping. This wasn´t unusual and he had learned to live with it. After a shower and a sandwich he sat down at his piano to brainstorm on what to do about Cameron.

As he saw it he had three options. One, not do anything, just leave the situation as it was…he didn´t like it….to much uncertainty. Although she had told him right from the beginning he was the one setting the boundaries and she had never indicated that she wanted things to be any different then they were. Two, stop….no, that wasn´t really an option. House pushed that one away. Option three, start a relationship with her….he was nervous about that one because that meant opening up and letting her in, risking getting hurt or saying or doing something that hurt her, pushing her away. But somehow she fitted perfectly into his life and somewhere it had become an issue to make her his.

But there was always the possibility she didn´t want anything more then this. No, Cameron wanted more, he knew that…. He knew her so well. When she was angry she would get cold, ice-cold. When she was frustrated she pushed and pushed him until he managed to shoot her down. She took down her glasses when she was emphasizing whatever she was talking about. The ways she clenched when she was worried. House smiled to himself. He better go and do something…

He grabbed his cell and noticed it was almost dinnertime.

_R U busy_

Her reply came instantly: _No._

_Im bringing pizza_

He knocked with his cane on the door, holding two boxes of pizza at his hip. When she opened the door he felt the excitement run trough is body and couldn´t help but grin. He noticed her worry face and her tense posture. "Here, help cripple." He said and smile as he beckoned the pizza boxes. When she took the boxes from him he stopped her by cupping her chin and give her a kiss. "And please unclench, you could make a koala-bear jump from it´s sleep." He said softly and walked inside.

"Pepperoni, pineapple and cream cheese, right?" He asked as they opened the boxes in the kitchen.

"Yes." She said surprised he knew her favored pizza but then she remembered he was House and he made it his business to know as much as he could. They sat down and House watched her take small bites of pizza. It was like she was making herself bite, chew, take a sip of bear and then repeated the whole routine. She looked relaxed sitting back in her chair but the glances she sent with obvious fear where disturbing.

The silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Finally she gave up and threw the half eaten slice back into the box. "What are you doing here?" She leaned forward her eyes big and she was clenching again.

"Having pizza." He stated.

"House." She said and locked their eyes together trying to read him. She stood up and started to phase the length of the kitchen. "Your ending this. It´s OK, we both knew there would come a time where it would stop." House rolled his eyes and watched her rambling. "And your right, it´s time, it´s been over a month and what an what an awesome month but now……"

"Cameron." He said and tried interrupt her but she kept phasing.

"…..it´s time to stop. You´re right, we had fun and the sex…the sex...is amazing but now….."

"Cameron." He said again louder but she didn´t hear him.

"…we stop, no more. This is it…."

He stood up and got a hold of her and kissed her hard and passionately, pinning her up against the kitchen counter, digging his fingers in her hair, pulling slightly to gain better access to her mouth. They rarely shared kisses like that outside the bedroom, it had somehow become another rule. The kiss left them breathless and he set his forehead against hers. "Are you going to shut up now?"

She set her hands on his chest. "Greg, what´s going on?" She almost whispered.

He took her hand and led her to the table. He sat on the edge of the table and pulled her in-between his legs, putting his hands on her hips. They were now at the same eyelevel and he could read uncertainty and confusion from her face. "Allison." He started, a smile came to his face and he closed his eyes as he felt her clench. "Stop worrying, I´m not going to bite…. at least not now, maybe later." He said to lighten the air.

She smiled a small smile but didn´t relax. "House?"

He nodded. "I need to know what is going on in here and here." He pointed at her head and then laid his hand over her heart, feeling it´s steady thump against his palm.

She looked at him wide eyed searching his eyes before looking down at her fingers and taking a deep breath. "You´ll think I´m weak."

"You care too much and sometimes your feeling get in your way as a doctor. But you are not weak." He said softly.

She raised her head and looked at him. She gave him a small nod.

"What I want!!….I want it all, I would be stupid not too. Why? Because I love you, I love you more then you even think possible and I need you…." She sent him a small smile. "…not in the way you think I need you….but because when I´m with you I´m stronger."

She looked down again. "But I also know that I can never have it all, I can never have more than this." She said quietly.

House raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why not?"

He felt her tense again in his arms, her eyes showing fear and worry before she looked down at her fingers again.

"Because you can never love me the way you love her." She whispered.

House set out a small laugh in relief. "You´re right, what I feel with you is different from what I felt with Stacy." He looked at her when he felt her clenching. He looked down at her fidgeting fingers. He moved his hands and closed it around hers. "You make me want things….things I didn´t think I wanted….I want more then this…." His face became soft when he caught her eyes again. He raised his hand and set it against her cheek.

Cameron eased herself closer to his body and set her arms around his neck. She set her head in the crook of his neck and hugged him tight. House set his hands around her small figure and hugged her back. This wasn´t the reaction he had been expecting. "Allison?" He whispered.

"Yes?" She whispered back.

"You OK?"

He felt her set out a small laugh. "Yes. I´m a lot more then OK."

He pulled her back and looked at her, tears where coming down her face but she was smiling. She closed her eyes and set her forehead against his and ran her hands over his stubble. "Would it bother you if I told you I love you?" She asked sheepishly.

He grinned as he felt a lightning of heat run trough his body and settle itself in his groin. "No." He said quietly.

Cameron smiled and moved away, opening her eyes. He could see laughter, lust and love all mixed together in the brightest blue color of her eyes. "I love you." She whispered. He pulled her in for a hard kiss, unable to find the words but determined to show her he loved her. They didn´t even make it to the bedroom but ended on the living room floor.

As they laid on the floor catching their breaths House set out a little laugh. "If you keep this up you´re going to be the end of me."

"Don´t you dare take up dying on me." She laughed and looked at him.

"Well, then you better feed me because you sure know how to work up an appetite." He sat up, pulled his boxer on and set up against the couch. Cameron stood up and dressed in his T. She went into the kitchen and brought the boxes of pizza and handed them to him before going to retrieve their beers.

The night was spent in talking and not so much talking. A lot was resolved between them when they finally fell a sleep in each others arms as the suns first beam came up over Princeton.


	4. Commitment

There was a rumor going on over at PPTH that Dr. Cameron and Dr. House were dating. Even though they didn´t run into each other during working hours, they sometimes ate lunch together and it hadn´t taken long for the rumors to start. The truth was it was the end of May and 3 months had pasted since it all began.

Chase cornered Cameron one afternoon in her office. "Does he make you happy?" Was all he asked. He knew House was the reason they hadn´t worked out even though they had tried, he still cared and was concerned. So when the rumors caught his ears he knew they where true and his first instinct was to protect Cameron.

Cameron smiled at him. "Yes."

He smiled back. "If he ever hurts you, you come to me and I´ll kick the crap out of him."

Cameron chuckled. "Chase, thank you for your concern but…..I think we are going to be OK."

Chase gave her a hard look and noticed her love glow, something he could never give to her. "I´m here if you ever need me." He said and gave her a hug before leaving.

The relationship between House and Cameron bloomed. They were both taken by surprise how easy things were between them.

Cameron knew to give him a wide space for his quirks and games. She understood his need to hold people at arms length but his thoughtfulness and concerns when it came to her had taken her by surprise. It were the little things, making her coffee in the morning while she showered, running her a bath after a long day, letting her know when he was running late, comforting her when she´d had exceptionally hard day. She felt stronger, whole, knowing he was there for her.

House thrived under her care, he found their evenings together as soothing as his piano. To his surprise Cameron wasn´t over pampering and over caring like he expected. She made his life easier. When his leg was giving him hell she was there, ready with her loving fingers and heating-pads. At first he had pushed her away, telling her to leave him alone while the Vicodin kicked in but she had just smiled at him and kissed him. "I worry when you are in pain." was all she said and he had let her do her magic. He soon learned the benefit of dating a doctor, he loved their conversations about medicine, new techniques, new medication and the marvel of the human body. In turn he found it much easier to confide in her about things that mattered.

They had moved over to House´s apartment. The only times Cameron went to her place was after evening- and night-shifts, so she wouldn´t disturb him. She also went to her apartment when House was stuck at the hospital over a patient but usually he would sneak in to her place, using the spare key and she always welcomed him. He had argued about the evening shifts but she said the space did them some good while things were so new. He reluctantly agreed and hadn´t pushed it further.

After the rumors started they had gone to Cuddy and confirmed the rumors where true and she had thrown her hands into the air with a big: "Finally." before congratulating them and reminding them not to let this affect their jobs. So far only Cuddy, Wilson and Chase knew that they were true. One afternoon, House was standing on the balconies overlooking the lobby and the nurses station. Wilson was standing next to him and they were drinking coffee.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" Wilson asked curiously.

"Waiting." House offered.

"Waiting for what?" Wilson asked with a frown.

"Not what, who." House said and rose, looking down into the lobby. Wilson looked and noticed Cameron walking into the lobby.

"Dr. Cameron." House yelled almost angrinly.

Cameron stopped dead in her tracks and so did the whole lobby, glancing at them. She looked up at him and smiled. "Yes, dr. House." She called back.

Their eyes locked together and House smiled as he felt the now familiar wave of lust for her run through his body. He noticed her eyes becoming darker as hunger and love entered hers. Wilson grinned as he saw the heat that past through them. All of sudden House moved toward the elevators. Cameron stood still and waited.

He slowly exited the elevator and closed in on her, leaving only a small space between them without touching her. The whole lobby was watching them but they didn´t noticed.

"I have something for you." He said quietly and handed her a small package.

Cameron looked up into his eyes with a question before taking the gift from him. Their fingers brushed against each other and they held on longer then necessary, letting the feeling of their touch run through them. She slowly opened the box and looked at him in surprise when she saw the object inside.

"Why are you giving me a key to your apartment?"

Suddenly House became aware of the people watching them, he had almost made a loud comment about Cameron but found himself not wanting to embarrass her. He looked back down at her.

Cameron noticed House´s uneasiness and smiled. "You want to finish this conversation in your office?"

House smiled at her words. She knew him way to well. He shook his head and leaned in closer, whispering in her ear. "If we go there you´ll never make it to work, at least not on time."

Cameron laughed and sent him a knowing smile. "Then you better answer my question."

He looked at the box between them. "It´s stupid." He said with a frown.

Cameron waited patiently while he finished, she knew better then rush him, she would get her answers just by waiting.

House looked at her and noticed she was waiting for his explanation.

"It´s stupid that you go to your place after your late shifts. I bet you would rather crawl up in a warm bed with a natural heating system then your cold sheets."

Cameron smiled at him, he was taking the next step and telling the whole hospital that they were an item at the same time. She had to hold her self back so she wouldn´t throw her self at him in the middle of the lobby. She drew in a big breath but the need to touch him was too strong. Without breaking the eye contact she extended her right hand and touched his left hand. He grabbed it and brought her fingers up to his lips, setting a small kiss on them.

You could almost hear the lobby gasp at the simple and intimate gesture. House was being nice.

"What do you say?" House asked and had a mixed feeling of embarrassment and excitement over shocking their audience.

"I say yes." She whispered. "It always takes me forever to fall asleep when you are not there."

House nodded. "I´ll see you tonight then."

"Yes." She whispered.

He reluctantly walked away, looking up and seeing a very happy Wilson.

Few weeks later they had settled themselves on the couch after dinner. House was nursing a scotch while Cameron had a glass of wine on the coffee-table. House sat with his legs up on the table and was watching TV while Cameron rested her head on his left leg and was reading. It wasn´t an uncommon situation except House was uneasy. Cameron had been distant for the last couple of days and it was driving him mad. He was afraid she was backing out even though he couldn´t quite find any signs of that but he knew something was troubling her. He pushed the mute button on the remote and looked down at her.

"OK, I give up, what´s bothering you?" He braced himself for bad new.

Cameron set her book down and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"For the past two days you´ve barely spoken two words to me when you get home and now you´ve been reading the same page through three commercial brakes."

Cameron sat up in and smiled at him. "Sometimes I forget how well you can read me."

"I have to be able to read you to measure your misery level." He said without thinking.

Cameron became serious. "You think I´m miserable?"

"No, not right now. Now there is something going on in your mind and you aren´t telling me." He tried to change the subject.

Cameron thought for a minute. "Good, because the last thing I am is miserable." She smiled at him and moved to rest her chin on his shoulder. "As a matter of fact I haven´t been this happy in a long time." She became serious again. "Why do you think I´ll be miserable?"

He turned his head and looked at her, their noses touched and he slowly ran his up and down hers before returning his gaze toward the TV.

"I´m an ass." He said grabbing his pillbox and shook one into his palm. "There will come a time when I´ll say something insensitive or I´ll start ignoring you." He set the pill in his mouth and swallowed.

Cameron set her hand on his shoulder. "Greg." She said when he didn´t look at her. "House." She said more firmly and that made him slowly meet her gaze.

"First of all, I´m not Stacy, I´m not walking out of here unless you pack me down and throw me out. Second, I know you´re an ass and I know there will come a time when you´ll say or do something that will hurt me." She set her hand on his cheek so he wouldn´t look away. "But I also know there would be a reason for you reacting that way so I´m hoping… I know... we´ll be strong enough to get through it."

He knew she right. She knew him a lot better then Stacy had ever done over the five years they had been together. She wasn´t Stacy, far from it…she was better then her. He set his hand over hers and kissed the inside of her palm before looking back at her. Locking their eyes together. "I love you." He whispered. It was the first time he told her.

Cameron drew in a deep breath, moved to straddle him. "I love you too, Gregory House." She said softly. "My big egoistical, stubborn ass." She added with a tease.

House chuckled as he pulled her down to kiss her. He made a small whining sound when she pulled away.

"Now the thing that has been on my mind." She said and looked in his eyes. "I haven´t been to my apartment for three weeks now, I´m always here." She became serious as she watched him to see his reaction.

"And?" He pushed.

"I talked to Wilson yesterday, he´s been apartment-hunting with no luck. He can´t seem to find anything close enough to the hospital….." She waited for him to connect the dots.

"You want to move in?" He peered his eyes at her with a frown. This was the best news he had heard in a long time.

"Yes." She said unsure.

He heard her uncertainty in her voice and sparks came to his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Cameron noticing the humor coming in his eyes and smiled. "Yes." She said more sure.

"Good, for a moment there I thought you had changed your mind." He teased and kissed her hard. "Welcome home." He whispered when he pulled away to be able to pull his T over her head.

THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> I don´t own House or any other characters on the show. They all belong to David Shore.
> 
> One of my earlier work moved from another site.


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